Optimizing IMI's IT Infrastructure

IMI aims to simplify the DNS namespace design and improve user experience by implementing Split DNS with two virtual servers. Additionally, IMI will employ Hyper-V for Windows Server 2012 to provide high availability, flexibility, user diversity, replica feature, and cost-effective solution. Failover clustering will also be used to process changing data and store it into a SAN. To protect sensitive information, Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) will be employed to prevent information leakage and file format exploitation.

Windows Network Services Proposal
CMIT 371

International Marketing Inc. (IMI) is a brand new company that is coming up it look to be
leading the way in advancing advertisement for business. They have create a dual threat
location, with the main operation area being in Houston, Texas and the second location, which
will be located at Richmond, Virginia. Well though the location are generally separate from
each other, they are able to function well with a single system. If IMI has the ability to challenge
to become more aggressive advertising market, also they will need to collect more
technologically in order to be competitive with the other companies. With the ability to manage
finances, and development & research, knowing customer accounts, and Information Technology
operations is very important for IMI in order to challenge the competitive advertisement.
ACTIVE DIRECTORY:
The two location will be set up to connect and extent with the capability with a fully-
functional two-way trust implemented between from each affected area domains. It will identify
all users, also groups, computer accounts will make them visible also usable from each domain
controllers in both location Houston and Richmond because of the replication that might occurs.
But the only domain structure will be created and be supported the different functional
departments with specific requirements. But with the result of envisaged active directory
structure for the companies.

With Read-Only Domain Controllers you can utilize as part of the plan process and
integration so there are connection with restructure reorganization of each departments including
employees they will have IT personnel working in both locations but it can render the
functionality.
FILE & STORAGE SOLUTIONS:
Storage solutions goes through file servers and using network shares that features both
environments from 2008 and 2012 will now increase utilization of server content and resources
then and configure BranchCache.
Well BranchCache is known as wide area network (WAN) bandwidth optimization
technology that features Windows Server 2008 and 2012 R2 installations. The WAN bandwidth
has user’s access content on remote servers, also BranchCache copies content the main office or
cloud content servers the caches content is locations is at branch office, having client computers
at offices to be able to access the content locally then using the WAN.

The main branch offices, the content can be stored onto the servers that is configured to
host the cache, or if there is no server is available in the main branch office, during the client
computers use running Windows 8 and Windows 7. After a client computer requests to receive
content from the main office, other computers use the same branch office can obtain the content
locally than having to download the content from the server.
The Storage itself uses the provision of the Storage Manager with the Windows Server
2012 which will allow for any variety of storage solutions and locations to be configured from
the dedicated Windows Server platform.
DISASTER RECOVERY:
In some case of a disaster there will need to backups all information that the business
finds important. Windows System offers an online feature that can be used with Server 2012.
Once IMI has to sign up with Microsoft Online Services, they create a single or multiple vaults
to store their backups. Providing an online location to backup data provides fault tolerance for
IMI. If one, or both, of the locations are compromised then the business information it will be

available once a disaster recovery is done. Windows server backup provide multitude of backup
area for the local level. The Backups can be used by internal disk, external disk, and removable
media. It is good practice to always keep backups and having them in two locations can be good.
IMI would be smart to back its date onto external disk. So backups can be used to help recover
full server’s also critical volumes.
DNS AND DHCP:
In order for IMI to be connected to the internet successfully they will need to be assigned
an IP address via DHCP. Have two separate locations could prove to be problematic for the
DHCP server. That is why each location will have their own DHCP server. DHCP will be ran
using a split scope option. Split scope DHCP uses two independent DHCP servers that share
responsibility for a scope. Typically, 70% of the addresses in the scope are assigned to the
primary server and the remaining 30% are assigned to a backup server. If clients cannot reach the
primary server then they can acquire an IP address lease from the secondary server (Understand
and Deploy DHCP Failover, 2013). The main server will host the majority of addresses and the
backup server will host the remaining and act as a backup as well in case of failure.
WAI will use a split DNS to protect the data and integrity of the company. Split DNS will
make it easy for users and consumers to be able to navigate via the Internet and the intranet.
Two virtual servers will be stood up on the DNS to handle this. The DNS namespace design will
be simplified for both the user and the consumer.
HIGH AVAILABILITY:
One of the new and upcoming pieces of technology that some companies are starting to
use is virtual machines. Windows Server 2012 has its own version it uses called Hyper-V.

Being able to operate inside of a virtual machine allows the user to operate without the fear of
making mistakes. If the user makes a mistake, then they can revert back to a snapshot they took
before they started working. Virtual machines aren’t very necessary unless parts of your
company plan on doing hefty computer work or you want your IT department to operate the
servers, DC, network shares, etc. through the virtual machines. The reason IMI wants to employ
Hyper-V is to make life easier for the ITs. There are many reason why using Hyper-V needs to
available to IMI. The first is that Admins will be able to do more with less. Virtualization
allows admins to be able to complete projects and manage the network with ease. If an account
is locked out, it takes just a few seconds to unlock it. The next benefit is flexibility. The new
Storage Migration feature allows you to move the virtual storage of a running virtual machine
from one VM storage repository to another (Davis, 2013). Another benefit of Hyper-V is user
diversity. Users enjoy using the operating system that they feel most comfortable with. Having
a virtual environment will allow users to pick what operating system they would like to use on a
daily basis. A new feature with Hyper-V is replica. Replica makes it possible to replicate
servers across a WAN or secure VPN easy and possible for even the smallest of businesses.
Finally, and most importantly, is the financial aspect. Hyper-V is comes built into Windows
Server 2012. WAI won’t have to go out and buy a separate piece of virtualization software.
Hyper-V comes with many advanced features that other pieces of software such as VMWare has.
WAI needs to employ a virtual environment to be able to succeed.
Alongside Hyper-V and network load balancing is failover clustering. Failover clustering
is very similar to network load balancing in that it has more than one machine working together
looking as if it’s a single entity to the user. The difference between a failover cluster and
network load balancing is that failover clusters deal with changing data. IMI will be able to

process data process changing data and then store that data into the SAN. If a server fails then
the next server will take over and process the data into the SAN. IMI will employ a node and
file share majority since it will have a geographical disbursed cluster. This way if the link
between the two sites goes down, then both the active and passive node won’t be working at the
same time. It will require a configuration file in order to take over.
ACTIVE DIRECTORY RIGHTS MANAGEMENT SERVICES:
If IMI has information that needs protection then the best way to do so is through Active
Directory Rights Management Services. There are many benefits of AD RMS. One of the
benefits is protection from information leakage. The term “Information Leakage” refers to the
exposure of data by authorized individuals either accidentally or maliciously. With traditional
ACLs you can allow read only but users would still be able to print or even copy data to another
file where they can choose how the data is protected. Rights Management provides enforcement
of additional controls that protects your information (Angell, 2012). AD RMS also protects
against file formats. RMS can encrypt files and folders that can only be opened if rights to the
AD RMS server are given. IMI can put all important information inside its AD RMS server and
then divide rights amongst those users that require them. Different licensing servers can contain
different information for different departments.

References:
Angell, S. (2012, July 20). Active Directory Rights Management Services. Retrieved February
28, 2015, from InfraScience: http://www.infrascience.com/news-events/newsletter/active-
directory-rights-management-services/
Checklist: Create a Forest Trust. (2012, March 1). Retrieved February 28, 2015, from Technet
Microsoft: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770907.aspx
Davis, D. (2013, January 9). Top 5 Benefits of Hyper-V for Windows Admins. Retrieved February
28, 2015, from Pluralsight Blog: http://blog.pluralsight.com/top-hyper-v-benefits
Micorsoft. (2014, December 5). The Office 365 Trust Center. Retrieved from Office Products:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/business/office-365-trust-center-cloud-computing-
security-FX103030390.aspx
Microsoft. (2012, December 12). Dynamic Access Control: Scenario Overview. Retrieved from
Technet Microsoft: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831717.aspx
Understand and Deploy DHCP Failover. (2013, July 31). Retrieved from technet.microsoft:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn338978.aspx